Recommendations on Transparency and Public Participation in the Context of Electricity Transmission Lines

This position paper by Germanwatch develops specific recommendations to the issue of public participation in the context of electricity transmission power lines. Public participation has become more and more important in policy making during the past years. Policy makers have reacted to the urgent need to enhance public participation in the field of power grids. New laws in this context, for example in Germany or at the European level, demonstrate this approach.

Our recommendations on public participation in the context of power grids are addressed to policy makers, transmission system operators, public authorities and stakeholders alike. We propose a five-step approach to public participation that helps to develop tailor-made solutions for public participation at different levels.

This paper moreover provides an insight into grid planning and permitting in Germany following the legal reforms of summer 2011 in the context of the energy transition. It describes how public participation is implemented in the different phases of the permit granting procedure, offering specific recommendations on how to further improve it. This refers to both an adjustment of existing laws as well as informal means of public participation, which should be implemented in addition to legal requirements.